First year, first race, first win.

Yesterday was my first race of the 2012/2013 'cross season. This season I've moved up an age category into the Junior U18 category, which opens up so many opportunities like national selection, UCI points and so on. I was pretty nervous going into the race yesterday as mainly it was my first race back, but also because I'd be the youngest in the race once again, as the Eastern League puts Juniors in with the Seniors. I was also pretty cautious about another Junior rider, a second year, Cameron Toms, as he'd beaten me when we raced together in the U16 category a couple of years ago. 

The course was tough, unrelenting with the number of short, sharp hills that it featured; not exactly a cross course but hard nonetheless. When the gridding was called, the first row was filled with the normal big hitters of the league, one being Cameron. I was awaiting my gridding, before being told that as I'm a first year I wouldn't be gridded, and must start at the back, surprisingly.

From the start I was hell bent on getting to the front of the race, which I did so surprisingly quickly and smoothly. I got into about 9th/10th place overall, with Cameron in my sights and made a swift effort to get on to his wheel. I recovered a bit before attacking again, and getting away from him and the remainder of the group, putting me in about 6th place. On the third lap i suffered a puncture, an impressive one at that, but thankfully didn't lose much time. After retrieving my new bike I settled in with a few remaining riders from a previous group, which soon whittled itself down so it was only me and Paul Sheers of ViCiOUS VELO. 

On the last lap I made an attack and managed to stay away from Paul to take 7th place in the Seniors race, and to win the Juniors race. 

Until mid October, my race schedule looks like this;-

16/09/12 - Eastern League 2, Springfield Chelmsford

29/09/12 - Eastern League 3, Ashwell

07/10/12 - Superprestige 1, Ruddervoorde, Belgium

14/10/12 - British National Series 1, Abergavenny, Wales

Thanks to Ciclos Uno and Windwave for their support.

Ciao.